MA-9 Beach Stalker

Fish Picnic Point on an outgoing tide. Right now you might hook a nice silver so put on stout tippet. Clousers will work, not super big. Dehlia's squid will work for cutts. If you really want to catch cutts in the salt, travel down to MA-13 and fish the state parks. October is the best for cutts in MA-13.

Triploid, Humpy & Seaplane Hater

Books, classes, internet forums etc will help cut down your learning curve, but nothing beats time on the water.
Fish every opportunity you have and keep notes of the tides, weather, fly patterns used etc.
You'll soon start to see successful fishing patterns develop.
Good luck,
SF

Member

Fish Picnic Point on an outgoing tide. Right now you might hook a nice silver so put on stout tippet. Clousers will work, not super big. Dehlia's squid will work for cutts. If you really want to catch cutts in the salt, travel down to MA-13 and fish the state parks. October is the best for cutts in MA-13.

Awesome, thanks DimeBright. So to fish an outgoing tide, I should get there about an hour after high tide? Specific to Picnic Point, should I go north or south of the stream? I have no problem walking a ways.

For Dehlia's squid, do you use a weighted head? What colors do you use?

Here are some of the flies I've tied for cutts. Are any of them even close to working at PP?

Books, classes, internet forums etc will help cut down your learning curve, but nothing beats time on the water.
Fish every opportunity you have and keep notes of the tides, weather, fly patterns used etc.
You'll soon start to see successful fishing patterns develop.
Good luck,
SF

Thanks Stonefish. I just got Les Johnson's book and Chester Allen's is on the way. I was hoping to use Picnic Point since it's so close. I seem to be catching a lot of flak for it, but I can get lot of time on the water since I can fish it after work.

Member

I fished Picnic about once a week in July & August when I had only an hour or two free, mostly to work on improving my casting under live conditions. There is the occasional sea run to be had, but as Porter says they are few and far between. It is more of a salmon beach when the runs are on, particularly pinks. Go to a South Sound public beach for sea runs.

Member

I fished Picnic about once a week in July & August when I had only an hour or two free, mostly to work on improving my casting under live conditions. There is the occasional sea run to be had, but as Porter says they are few and far between. It is more of a salmon beach when the runs are on, particularly pinks. Go to a South Sound public beach for sea runs.

I'm mainly going down there to practice anyways. All my experience is in mountain streams, so it's totally a new world. When you go down there, what side of the beach to you head to? How do you work it? Do you wade far out? If you had to choose between a 8' 6" Zenith 5wt and a 9' 6" TFO BVk 7wt, which would you take?

MA-9 Beach Stalker

Awesome, thanks DimeBright. So to fish an outgoing tide, I should get there about an hour after high tide? Specific to Picnic Point, should I go north or south of the stream? I have no problem walking a ways.

For Dehlia's squid, do you use a weighted head? What colors do you use?

Here are some of the flies I've tied for cutts. Are any of them even close to working at PP?

Thanks Stonefish. I just got Les Johnson's book and Chester Allen's is on the way. I was hoping to use Picnic Point since it's so close. I seem to be catching a lot of flak for it, but I can get lot of time on the water since I can fish it after work.

Member

Do not step into the water (at first). Cast up and down the near shoreline and then in a fan pattern into the deeper water. Sea runs like to hang right along the shoreline.

Once you are sure there are none along the shore, move into the water but not more than knee deep. Repeat fan pattern.

Use a baitfish pattern; ask a fly shop for a recommendation. Buy only two, until you either lose them or have confidence in them (catch fish).

At Picnic, start at the steam inflow.

Read Chester's book; take Leland's next beach class (I don't think Pacific has one until Spring).

Bob, Leland, DimeBrite, Wade'n Boot, Ed, Stonefish are all part of a small number of flyfishers who fish Puget Sound beaches year-round. Read all of their posts on this site. I save them to my hard drive and re-read them when I have questions.

Get out every chance you can.

Since you'll have more questions (and you should!), I can meet you at Picnic between 8:30am next Weds. If you can't do that, propose a different time and I will check my calendar. Bring your 7wt, waders, and a floating line. It's not my favorite coho beach on the east side, but DimeBrite is right and we can talk about sea runs while targeting their big brothers.